Operation Dress Up
by spacEnigma83
Summary: A casual girl's night in leads to an impromptu moment of dress up for our two leading ladies. This isn't Swan Queen per se but you might call it something of a girl crush story. That's a thing. Inspired by a dream and the need to see this Regina - Emma friendship grow.


**So it appears that I'm subconsciously a Swan Queen fan if elements of this story were inspired by a dream I had. Anyway I thought someone out there might appreciate this one shot. Nothing of consequence happens but you know… It ends up on the girl crush side of things. Perhaps you grow nervous around someone you have idolized for so long. It's normal to confuse the lines between a girl crush and a friendship.**

 **Need a time line? How about towards the end of Season 4. Emma hasn't taken on the darkness yet and she and Regina have this newfound friendship. No Spoilers.**

* * *

 **Operation Dress Up**

"So what are you and Henry doing this Friday evening?" Regina asks as she sets a cup of coffee down in front of her current house guest.

"Actually Henry is staying with my parents. I have a date with Hook." Emma says and she tries very hard not to smile at the thought but she is rather excited.

"A date?" Regina asks trying her best to put on a polite smile and act interested in the topic though in her attempts you can see the strain in her features. She didn't do girl talk but with this newfound friendship she was willing to put in an effort.

"Yeah. With everything that has been going on we haven't managed to get in many proper dates. I mean our first one was nice but… well you know… you kind of want them to get better with time."

"So what are your plans?" Regina asks as her eyes glance at the coffee cup griped in her hands on the kitchen table. This small talk was almost unbearable but she took that first step, she might as well go all the way. "Dinner… a movie?" She suggests.

"Definitely dinner. I mean we had a nice dinner last time but… well… things were a little weird that night." Emma laughs off the memory.

Dinner was a romantic gesture. Regina could imagine Emma sitting across the table in a nice dress smiling politely and laughing. Wait go back… _A nice dress?_ Now that would have been quite a sight. She can't remember many times she had seen the blonde in a nice dress. Sure a skirt here and there but a dress? "Did you…" She stumbles to ask as her mouth catches up with her mind. It's really none of her business but quite frankly the idea is a rather curious one. "Did you… dress up for that dinner?" Her brow rises along with the octave in her voice.

"Yeah." Emma says a bit breathless, her smile only growing brighter. "I wore a dress." She nods and then throws her hands forward in front of her as if in warning. "I mean it wasn't like… super formal or anything. It was just something I've had and never had the chance to wear until then." She shrugs not sure she's explaining that effectively.

Regina nods and her grin turns quite genuine as she thinks on that a moment. She wishes she could have seen the outfit herself to better judge the woman's tastes. "And… do you have anything… _special_ … to wear for this Friday?"

"Uh… no. I was just going to maybe borrow something of my Mom's or…"

"Oh goodness no. You can borrow something of mine." Regina says as she meets eyes with her blond compatriot.

Emma lets out a breathy laugh. "You… do realize we have completely different taste in clothing right?"

"I do… but you'd be surprised at what a versatile collection I have." She smiles wickedly now, teeth and all.

"Well I can imagine. I mean when I first came to town I realized pretty quickly that everyone here was dressed in designer labels." She laughs and Regina grins. "Now that I know you were the one giving them their false memories… it makes sense. You ran a town full of well-dressed people."

Regina laughs, the rich sound resonates throughout the kitchen. "Thanks for noticing." There is a moment of silence between them and when Emma's smile falters Regina is quick to suggest, "Would you like to come up to my bedroom?"

"Um… what?" Emma asks in a quiet voice obviously thrown by the offhanded invitation.

"To see if you find anything you would want to wear… for the date." Regina goes to explain further at hearing the confusion in the other woman's voice.

"Oh… right. Sure." She stutters at as she nods her consent. She watches as the woman stands and starts to walk away. She doesn't snap in to action until the woman turns and waits. "Oh… you meant right now." She declares as she stands and starts to follow.

* * *

"Are you sure you want me to borrow this? I mean it's… really nice." Emma asks hooking her thumbs into the top to adjust the red strapless dress around her chest.

Regina steps up behind her and helps pull the dress in to place. "Sure I'm sure." Regina whispers quietly as she looks over Emma's shoulder and takes a moment to examine the woman in the full length mirror before them. "It looks lovely on you." She reassures.

"But it looks super expensive." Emma huffs out still fussing with the dress though there is no need. It fits rather nicely. "I've never worn anything like this." She grimaces as Regina comes around to stand in front of her and look her in the eyes. It's an odd sort of invasion of personal space. Not that Regina hasn't entered that space uninvited before but being here in the woman's personal domain made things a bit more intimate. It was slightly unnerving little did she know it was a mutual sort of feeling.

Regina stands before her, her eyes scan over well-toned arms, the fit of the dress that hugs a thin waistline, and eventually she meets eyes with the blonde who is staring back in confusion. Perhaps she had been admiring her longer than necessary. "Your hair." She suddenly blurts though her voice sounds a bit hoarse. She can hear Emma gasp at the sudden outburst so she clears her throat and awkwardly reaches forward to comb her hands up into blonde hair. "I mean to say that… your hair would look lovely pinned up." She clarifies as she steps even closer in an attempt to hold up the woman's hair for her. She comes over to stand beside her so that they may both examine it in the mirror.

Emma is too busy staring at the other woman in the reflection. Her mouth is gaping. This sort of engaging situation is not one she had ever experienced with Regina. Once those brown eyes land on her own in the mirror she thinks to mutter, "Yeah." She stutters further. "I mean… I pinned my hair up… well… sort of…" She exhales after realizing she had been holding her breathe. She'd never had someone mess about with her hair before. It was a strange feeling. "For the last date. It was just… a messy pony tail." She whispers in the end. Regina being this close to her was causing a strange sort of stirring within her. It felt like a nervous pinching of the gut, a feeling she only ever experienced in extreme cases of embarrassment, which was quite rare.

Regina turns her head to look at the blonde's face. She recognizes her nervousness right away because the other woman looks how she feels. She releases her hold on the blonde's hair and then comes to stand behind her. She attempts once more to comb her hands through those blonde tresses. "Something a bit different then… a little more elegant." Regina nearly whispers in to the blonde's ear. She watches as goosebumps form on the woman's bear arms. She tries to hold off on smiling at the idea that she caused that reaction. She can't help the affect she had on people. As a queen she simply oozed sex appeal. She'd let Emma squirm in her discomfort a little longer. She was unused to sharing her space and at least in this way she had the upper hand. Her own nerves were starting to fade as she took on the task at hand. "Maybe you can twist your hair up?" Regina suggests this time.

Emma though remains silent. She's staring blankly ahead of her. Regina tries to follow her line of sight but comes up with nothing. She looks to be day dreaming. Regina smiles trying to imagine what might be running through the blonde's head but decides to speak up. "Emma." She says and when the woman still does not respond she leans in closer to her ear and punctuates, "Em-ma."

Emma startles and pulls back her head forgetting for a second that the other woman's hands are still tangled up in her hair. She remembers quickly though as she watches how Regina loses her balance. She feels the woman's lips brush up against her cheek as she falls forward and then their noses bump. This only causes the blonde to pull back further, her back pressed up against the wall of the closet. Regina manages to release her hands from Emma's hair just in time to hold herself up effectively pinning Emma where she stands.

The women stare at each other for a moment. Both seem to share the same wide eyes, heavy breathing, and stunned features. It is Emma though who breaks eye contact, suddenly feeling very warm realizing that they are pressed up against each other. She tries desperately to look at anything other than the woman before her. She clears her throat and stands a bit taller in a silly effort to put some distance between them.

Regina grins though. It wasn't often she could make Emma uncomfortable and though this was all a very innocent accident it did give the brunette a certain vote of confidence. She still had it.

"Sorry." Emma whispers and when she feels the other woman step back she lets out a sigh of relief.

"It's quite alright." Regina says still grinning though Emma never sees it.

Again a rather uncomfortable silence settles in but Emma is not able to stand it. "Honestly Regina I don't think this is me." Emma declares gesturing at her own body.

"Well if that's how you feel… truth be told I simply wanted to see what you looked like in a dress like this." She says with a grin. "I figured red was your color." She shrugs as she heads back to the other items hanging in her closet.

Emma thinks on that a moment. It was something about the dress. "Why exactly do you have this dress?" she thinks to ask.

"I'm… not sure." Regina thinks on this a moment. It wasn't something typical. She never had a need to wear anything this formal or form fitting.

"I mean look at your closet… sure you have a red dress here and there. I've seen you in a few of them. I've never seen you wear this though." She says pressing her hands flat against her abdomen.

Regina tries to remember if she ever did wear this. "I don't even remember buying it. Not that… I've had to buy any of these clothes…"

"The whole magic thing." Emma nods.

"I… don't know why it's here." Regina says looking to the other clothes hanging on the rack. She pinches at a pants suit that hangs while she tries once more to remember where this particular garment had come from. It reminded her of something… but what was it?

"You know it almost looks like this dress I wore back in the Enchanted forest." Emma offers up.

"In the Enchanted forest?" Regina questions in confusion.

"Oh… yeah… we never talked about that did we?" The blonde then realizes.

"Oh you mean when you went back in time." The woman finally recalls.

"Yeah. That. Actually Regina… you saw me in that dress." Emma says with a smile.

"No… I think I would remember seeing you in a dress like this Emma." Regina gestures at the blonde while giving her a rather thorough once over.

Emma clears her throat and frowns. "Well… anyway." She tries to continue on her trail of thought but that comment and the way it presented itself has thrown her off a bit. "Uh… you probably didn't recognize me because Gold put some sort of spell on me and Hook. We looked different."

"A glamour." Regina supplies as she tries to think back on those newly imprinted memories. She stares off for a moment and Emma turns back to look at herself in the mirror.

"I mean the dress was obviously sleeved." Emma continues. "It had a wide neckline. My hair was pinned up. I was still blonde but I had a small tiara in my hair. It looked really silly when I saw myself in the mirror." She says laughing while practically speaking to herself in the mirror now.

Regina gasps but smiles, "I think I remember it." She says coming to stand beside Emma to speak to the woman's reflection. She gestures with a hand in the air and a puff of purple smoke clouds the two of them. When the smoke clears Emma is wearing the same dress she had been magicked up in by Rumple. "This one?"

"Yeah." Emma says gasping at her reflection completely shocked that the woman managed to conjure it up so quickly. "Wow you nailed it."

"I could sense some magic coming from that woman but I had no idea _THAT_ was you." Regina says smiling brightly.

"Yeah. It was really weird when your guards brought me round. It kind of felt like you were…" Emma laughs. "Well… like you might have been… checking me out." She shrugs off the statement.

"I was." Regina states with a shrug of her own as she goes back in to her closet.

Emma coughs in shock at the comment. "You…"

"You were lovely dear. The dress was fetching." She offers in way of explanation. She comes back out of the closet with a pair of black pumps in hand. "Don't act like you weren't doing the same when you saw me." She offers with a smirk.

"I… uh…" Emma is caught off guard but Regina merely chuckles.

"I know what I look like Emma and I know when I'm being admired." She shrugs as she bends down to set the shoes in front of the blonde. "Try these on."

"Um…" Emma looks down at the shoes and does as she is asked. "But I'm… not…" She stutters out. "Regina I'm not wearing this on my date with Hook." She laughs out as she stumbles to step in to the heels.

Regina takes her hand so that she may assist her and says, "I know…" She shrugs. "But let's see the outfit in its entirety." She smiles as she looks from the woman's feet back up to her stunned face. "Humor me."

"Alright." Emma says swallowing as her eyes dart around the room. She can feel rather than see the woman's eyes on her and when she finally manages to seek out the woman's face she takes in the purse of her lips as she looks her over in amusement. "Can we move this along now? You've seen me in the dress." She offers uncomfortably, waving her hands in a forward motion.

"Yes…" Regina starts with a small smile as she moves away. "Now that I've seen you in this I know you'll look lovely in almost anything." She compliments as she fusses with a few garments that hang in the closet.

"Thanks." Emma says biting her lips together trying not to roll her eyes at the compliment. This whole situation was just awkward. Was the former queen flirting with her or was this what girlfriends did? She hadn't a clue.

"We both know that your one handed pirate could care less what you wear." Regina says offhandedly and when Emma looks her in the eyes offering a silent warning she grins at the victory of her own dig. "Now…. let's get you out of that dress."

Emma's mouth falls open before she whispers out a frightened, "What?"

"The dress Dear. You're still wearing it."

"Oh… right..." Emma shakes her head in embarrassment.

Regina's grin grows once more. "It's funny how your mind works sometimes." She shakes her head slightly at the twist of conversation. "One might even say it's in the gutter."

"Well if you'd quit saying things like that I wouldn't be… confused." Emma offers a bit frustrated from all the teasing coming her way.

"It's not my fault you are so easily flustered." The brunette offers slyly.

"Hmm." Emma grumbles her displeasure though she takes the teasing in stride.

"So how about something else then? I mean you've already worn one of my shirts before…" She points out with a raise of her brow, "How about a skirt ensemble?"

"You know those memories you gave me and Henry… when we had to leave Storybrooke behind that time? You made me a classy dresser then. I was wearing some pretty upscale skirt ensembles then." Emma points out as she moves alongside the woman to go through the items of clothing hanging in the closet.

"You didn't expect Henry to have been raised by a poorly dressed woman now did you? It was the least I could do for him." Regina laughs a she continues to search.

"Ha funny." Emma drawls.

"You did have better style when you brought him back though. Admit it."

"Okay. I'll give you that. It changed my outlook on things." She shrugs. "Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of playing dress up as kid either." Emma laughs out.

"It's much more fun as an adult." Regina admits. "I never paid much mind as a child but when I was Queen..."

"Oh right. The whole Evil Queen wardrobe." Emma laughs as well. "How do you wear that?" The blonde remembers asking of her the time the curse of shattered site fell upon the town.

"With the poise and composure of a queen." The older woman laughs out as she gestures a hand toward herself.

"Ha. You were not joking were you?" The blonde decides to ask.

"I was dead serious." The woman smiles. After a moment or two their giggles die down and Regina offers up, "Not every day you get to say you played dress up with The Evil Queen."

"Former Evil Queen." Emma corrects. "And this is true but let's save those dresses for someone who can actually wear them. I can't see myself working those gowns the way you did."

"Hmm… well… I'll admit it's a good boost for your self-esteem. It certainly changes the way you carry yourself. It takes more effort but it looks amazing." The woman shrugs as she thinks on this aloud.

"The corsets are killer though." Emma winces at the memory of them.

"But the pain is worth it." Regina smiles. "You're right though. Better to save the Evil Queen wardrobe for something… special." She bounces her eyebrows suggestively and bursts out laughing soon after.

"Wow… I'm just… learning a whole other side of you right now." The blonde offers as she shakes her head in amusement.

* * *

"So… this was…" Emma shrugs unsure of what to say. "Fun." She nods.

"It was." Regina nods as well.

"Well thanks again for letting me borrow this." Emma says as she lifts the borrowed garment that is draped over her arm as she follows closely behind the brunette who moves to open the door for her.

"It's nothing. I hope you have a good time on this date." Regina says with a tired smile. "At the very least you'll look lovely in that." She offers hesitantly.

"Thanks." She whispers. "Goodnight Regina."

"Goodnight."

 ****I've been holding on to this story for a while now. There is a chance I can come back and make something more of it but for now this is where I ended it so thanks for putting up with me and reading this. :)****


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